>But still, it is normal for the girls to try to look beautiful, just as it is normal for the boys to try to be strong. Except that boys are also expected to b

>But still, it is normal for the girls to try to look beautiful, just as it is normal for the boys to try to be strong. Except that boys are also expected to be resourceful, independent, intelligent etc... The OP rightly notes that an excessive focus on external attributes (themselves highly historical and culturally specific) are unlikely to help girls develop in an adaptive manner, and she provides evidence that our current discourses actively harm women in various ways.